Posted on 01/26/2004 6:03:46 PM PST by Orange1998
FDA bans cow blood in livestock feed Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- The government is outlawing cattle blood in livestock feed and the use of cow brains and other parts in dietary supplements, part of broader restrictions in wake of the nation's first known case of mad cow disease.
The Food and Drug Administration announced steps late today to close loopholes in its livestock feed ban -- a key protection against the spread of the brain-wasting disease in cattle -- and to make sure that people don't consume risky animal parts in processed foods and supplements.
"The steps we're taking today are intended to provide even greater security," said FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan.
Meanwhile, the Agriculture Department's chief veterinarian says he expects to wind up the search for more cases of mad cow disease in the United States soon without locating all of the herdmates of America's first known case.
Ron DeHaven told reporters today that investigators have sharply narrowed the number of cattle that years ago could have eaten the same, possibly contaminated feed as the Canadian-born Holstein found sick with the brain-wasting disease in December after being taken to slaughter from a dairy farm in Mabton, Wash.
DeHaven said some animals in the Holstein's birth herd may never be located because of poor records and the likelihood that many have already been slaughtered.
Nonetheless, American consumers should feel assured that "we have the appropriate safeguards in place to protect the public health," DeHaven said.
The department has been searching for 80 animals that were raised in Alberta, Canada, and shipped to the United States in 2001 with the Holstein that wound up in Mabton.
DeHaven said officials now are focusing on what happened to 25 of the Canadian-born animals raised within a two-year window of the Holstein's birth, because they would be most likely to have shared feed with it. Officials have located 14 of them, he said.
Eating feed containing nervous system tissue from infected animals is considered the most likely method of spreading the disease. Such feed has been banned in Canada and the United States since 1997.
A representative of a group, R-Calf USA, that supports American-born beef cattle said the department's action was a step in the right direction but not enough to make American consumers comfortable with their meat supply.
No animal should be imported without proof that its feed was safe, said Bill Bullard, chief executive officer of R-Calf USA, of Billings, Mont.
You have to parse theses regulations that way you would parse something Bill Clinton would say. Livestock includes cattle, chickens, sheep, etc. While it was illegal to feed cattle offal to other cattle, it was still legal to feed cattle offal to chickens and chicken offal to cattle. It sounds like they are prohibiting feeding of cattle offal to any livestock.
Let me tell you about how much scrap was landfilled bound after one week from a processing plant that killed 4800 - 5400 head A DAY.
Exactly one 20 yard dumpster's worth of the tails. They even sell the paunch water as fertilizer to the local farmers.
I gotta worry?
Instead of the distillers and soy cake I could use feather meal, or other animal protein sources that are cheaper. The problem is that you need to be feeding 14% to 18% protein to anything lactating or in the last months of pregnancy. Corn, oats, barley, wheat, etc....only come in around 8% protein. Alfalfa meal, soybean meal, and distillers are pricey. Stuff like blood meal, ground up skins, feather meal, fish meal(there is a specific fish they harvest just for feed) etc.... are cheap sources that boost the protein.
Other than when birthing animals eat the placentas and birthing tissues on their own, I will not feed any animal protein source to my livestock. Any cull animal has a flock eartag number under the USDA Scrapie Erradication program. Only lambs under one year do not need the tag. At slaughter every head/brain is examined for scrapie(mad cow like disease)
FWIW, resistance to prion diseases is being bred into livestock. This poses a greater problem. Breeding resistance might still give higher odds to cross species jumping to humans. I'd rather see the genetics/breeding efforts halted.
Yeah, I do know. I was bred, born and raised on a working farm. It's not like the offal is thrown in front of them. The dried blood and bone meal are sold to be mixed with supplements. And what caused the outbreak in Britain was cows getting feed with sheep's "protein" mixed in. The hogs get the cattle stuff.
It was/is a "voluntary ban".
It's hard for me to believe only one cow had the disease.
Tests are done very rarely and cover-up is likely.
Exactly one 20 yard dumpster's worth of the tails.
Then how come I gotta pay so damn much for a package of oxtails at the grocery store?
I think we've already lost that hill. They've been jumping to humans for quite some time. Remember the UK a few years ago?
Carolyn
I hope they are referring to vitamins for livestock. If not the vegetarians are going to have a fit.
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